Most brands of gin on the market fall into one of two camps: juniper-forward London dry; or lighter, floral and citrusy gins. But the gin we read about in pre-Prohibition cocktail books is usually neither of these styles.

Bartenders and consumers interested in classic and authentic versions of cocktails have lobbied foreign brands and U.S. importers to bring older gin styles to the local market. Their efforts have succeeded. Several new types of gin predating those of today by a few hundred years have just become available, allowing us to better understand the original version of famous drinks - and to create some new ones.

Genever

History: Genever, a Dutch invention often credited to professor and chemist Sylvius de Bouve in the 16th century, is not actually a style of gin but its precursor. It is a combination of malt wine, a flavorful distilled grain product, plus juniper and other herbs, and neutral grain spirit. In the earliest American cocktail guides, genever was largely referred to as "Holland gin."

A genever in Holland can be further classified as jonge, oude or korenwijn, in order of increasing amount of malt wine in the mix. Some genevers are aged, but this is independent of the jonge and oude labels. These distinguish the newer and older styles of genever.

Revival: Bols, a Dutch company making genever for hundreds of years, launched an unaged, high malt wine-content genever in San Francisco and New York this month. Other imported brands on the market include Boomsma and Zuidam. Zuidam offers a jonge genever already and is launching an aged oude genever in the next few months. Potrero Hill-based Anchor Distilling (Anchor Steam Beer, Junipero Gin) makes an all pot-distilled genever-style product called Genevieve.

Flavor: "Genever is essentially flavored whiskey. London dry is essentially flavored vodka," says drink historian David Wondrich. The malty quality of genever and the resulting creamy mouthfeel and sweetness are very different from today's gins.

Use: Genever is not usually a good substitution for London dry gin in cocktails, and it doesn't mix with tonic water at all. Try it in classics like the Holland House or the Improved Holland Gin Cocktail, or use it in place of whiskey in an old-fashioned.

Old Tom

History: Dutchman William of Orange became the King of England in the late 1600s and brought with him a host of import laws and tariffs that made genever a discount beverage. "Genever" was shortened to "gin" and a new style made by locals came about: old tom. The term is believed to come from the black cat sign that adorned gin dispensaries throughout London in that era.

Revival: Hayman's old tom gin arrived in San Francisco this month. Boord's old tom gin is available at some shops, but is looked down upon by many cocktail enthusiasts. Another brand based out of Oregon, Ransom old tom gin, should be released next year, according to distillery founder Tad Seestedt. He says it will be a combination of malted grain spirits and neutral spirits, slightly aged to approximate barrel shipping and storage conditions of old.

Flavor: Distillation techniques were crude back then, so old tom gin was sweetened as well as flavored with botanicals to mask the poor-quality spirit. Importer of Hayman's old tom gin Eric Seed says, "It has the richness of mouthfeel you get with genever. Old toms tend to be very well rounded in flavor profile, whereas London dry style tends to be more sharp and angular." Seed says the lightly sweetened Hayman's is similar to a lightly sweetened London dry gin, but more botanically intensive to stand up to strong flavors such as sweet vermouth and maraschino in the Martinez cocktail.

Use: Over the years there were many different recipes for old tom, Seed says, ranging from all pot-distilled gins closer to genever to all column-distilled gins closer to London dry. Until American Prohibition, old tom gin was used in many cocktails, including the Martinez, Tom Collins and Ramos gin fizz.

Aged Gin

History: Like all beer, wine and spirits of old, gin was once stored and shipped in the barrel instead of the bottle. The liquid that was previously held in the barrel would influence the new one. Scotch whisky distillers have kept the tradition alive (and reinvigorated it) by using former bourbon, brandy, sherry and other used barrels for aging. Several genevers in Holland and the forthcoming Ransom old tom gin are aged.

Revival: One aged modern-style gin (based on a 1771 recipe) is coming to market. Citadelle Reserve will launch in the United States in December or January as a limited edition bottling of Citadelle gin. It is made in France and aged for six months in used Cognac barrels, as the brand is owned by the same producer as Cognac Ferrand. Most of the bottles will go to Europe, with approximately 2,400 bottles for the United States.

Flavor: The barrel aging softens the gin, and adds wood notes like vanilla to the modern gin flavor profile. The woody barrel aroma is present on the nose but not overpowering on the palate. The juniper is also far less present than in the regular Citadelle Gin.

Use: As the product has not hit the market, most bartenders have not yet had to opportunity to add it to their menus. Brand co-founder Alexandre Gabriel says the Citadelle Reserve is good in a simple martini.

Instructions: Muddle the mint leaves with a little cracked ice in a mixing glass until they are shredded into bits. (This ice is intended to act like "teeth" and help with the shredding of the mint, so small chunks are best.) Add the genever, Chartreuse and apricot liqueur and top with additional ice. Stir for 15 to 20 seconds, or until well chilled. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with the mint tip.